Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia and Peru are exploring bilateral cooperation on halal product assurance and the mutual recognition of foreign halal certificates through the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) scheme.Head of the Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH) Ahmad Haikal Hasan said Peru has strong potential to develop its national halal industry capacity, particularly amid growing global demand for halal products.“In the Latin American region, Brazil has become one of the key players in the global halal industry. Peru also has significant potential to develop in the same direction if it begins strengthening its national halal ecosystem now,” Hasan said in a statement received here on Tuesday.According to him, stronger halal cooperation between Indonesia and Peru could open broader trade opportunities for both countries.He noted that Peruvian products have the potential to expand their access to Indonesian and global halal markets, while Indonesian products could also penetrate markets in Latin America, including Peru.Hasan further emphasized that Indonesia, with more than 250 million halal-conscious consumers, is one of the key hubs for global halal industry growth.“BPJPH is open to dialogue and cooperation with any country to jointly advance the global halal ecosystem. Halal is a universal language of quality, cleanliness, and consumer trust,” he said.BPJPH also noted that Indonesia will enter a critical phase in implementing mandatory halal certification, which will fully take effect on Oct. 18, 2026, particularly for food and beverage products, slaughtered products, and slaughter services.Therefore, BPJPH encouraged foreign business actors and exporters seeking to enter the Indonesian market to begin preparing halal certification for their products at an early stage.“This can be done either through the foreign halal registration mechanism or through cooperation on halal certificate recognition between foreign halal agencies and BPJPH,” Hasan said.